Rubik's Cube
by gilmoregirl607
Summary: Rory Gilmore's life is about to get shaken up. Takes place during Nick & NoraSid & Nancy. Literati. ON HOLD.
1. Chapter 1

Rory Gilmore's life was like a Rubik's Cube. Each side of the cube is perfectly aligned, with all the colors in place. Blue, orange, red, green, white, yellow. Each face represented something in Rory's world: Chilton, Dean, her mom, her grandparents, Lane, Stars Hollow. Everything was crystal clear. She kept her academics separate from her social life, just like each side of this toy is separated from the one adjacent to itself.

But when a Rubik's Cube is complete, it gets boring if it just sits there. No more challenges, no more excitement. Rory needed someone, or something, to twist around the Rubik's Cube that was her life, and change everything.

Little did she know, that someone would be walking in her bedroom door in ten minutes.

A/N: This chapter wasn't really part of the story when I first started writing it, but I felt like it needed something extra in the beginning, instead of jumping right into the plot. Short, I know, but the coming chapters are much longer, believe me. Reviews are love :) Ciao!


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Thanks to the reviewers! Especially Jessalyn-Laine for the advice. Actually, I had the first chapter already done, but once I wrote the prologue, I had to rewrite the first chapter. It was just easier to post something short first, rather than nothing at all. Anyway, here's the next chapter. )

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rory sat at her laptop, fingers poised at the keyboard. She had been trying to come up with a good transition for her history paper for nearly ten minutes, and she had yet to do so. Not to mention, the mouthwatering scents coming from the kitchen weren't helping her concentration. Whatever Sookie was cooking, it was going to be delicious.

Trying to focus on her work, Rory tucked a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear and began sifting through the papers on her desk, looking for anything to help her with her assignment. But, fortunately, her mother's voice interrupted her.

"Rory, they're here," she heard Lorelai call.

"Coming," Rory replied.

Taking one last look at her incomplete paper, she felt rather than heard someone come into her room. When she turned around to see who it was, she—

Whoa.

Standing in her doorway, was one of the most – perhaps _the_ most gorgeous person she'd ever seen. One glance at his dark eyes, gelled hair, and casual clothes told Rory he didn't give a damn about anyone he was meeting that night. In face, he probably wouldn't remember her name by the time he left.

"Hey," she said cheerfully, flashing a friendly smile.

"Hey."

"I'm Rory."

"Yeah, I figured." Wait, he _figured_? How could he already know about her? Well, of course, this was Stars Hollow. Rory could have smacked herself for being so dumb. Instead, she tried to keep the conversation going.

"Nice to meet you."

Silence. Great. He definitely wasn't what Rory was hoping for. Well, she wasn't _hoping_ for anything, of course. She had Dean. She was just – imagining someone more…talkative.

"Wow, aren't we hooked on phonics?"

"Oh, I read a lot. Do you read?" Rory asked hopefully.

"Not much."

Strike two.

Rory watched as he ran his finger along the different volumes, and finally selected…Howl? Why would he pick something as advanced as Howl? She was almost positive she had The Cat in the Hat wedged between two Jane Austen novels; he should've picked up that.

"I could loan you that if you want. It's great." Rory made a mental note to slap herself again, later. _He just said he didn't read much._ Jess shook his head and placed the book on her desk.

"No, thanks."

She left the offer up in the air, although she knew full well he wouldn't change his mind.

When Rory was interrupted again by Lorelai, this time to announce a relocation of dinner, Jess moved towards the window, already thinking up an escape plan.

"So, do these open?" he asked, after Lorelai had gone.

Completely unaware of what Jess was thinking, Rory responded, "Oh yeah, you just have to unlatch them and then push."

"Great. Shall we?"

"Shall we what?"

"Bail."

Strike three.

Rory couldn't believe him. After all everybody went through to make him feel welcome, he just wanted to leave. And he even caused a fight between Lorelai and Luke. Rory didn't hear all of it, but she did catch phrases like "Breakfast Club audition", "condescending", and "beer". The last thing Rory needed was her mom and Luke to be arguing. As if the split with Max wasn't bad enough.

"$3.97," the cashier said, bringing Rory out of her thoughts. She handed the woman a five dollar bill, collected her change and her bag, and headed outside.

"Hey," she heard a familiar voice call. She looked up.

_Oh. Great._

She tried to be nice.

"Hey yourself." She certainly hoped he would interpret that as, "Go away, you ignorant pig," but she didn't think that was likely.

"What are you doing out here?"

_What do you care?_

"I needed something for school. What about you?"

_Oh wait, let me guess. You were getting the same thing, right?_

"Oh yeah, same thing."

_Uh-huh._

"Uh-huh. So, that was quite a disappearing act you pulled the other night."

"Potlucks and Tupperware parties aren't really my thing."

_And what _is _your thing, Jess?...Actually, never mind, I don't want to know. _

"Too cool for school, huh?"

"Yes, that is me."

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, this? Nothing…Just another little disappearing act."

_Please, God, don't pull that out of my ear…I should probably tell you that._

"Little tip?"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever want to speak to me again, don't pull that out of my ear."

"So, I assume the nose is off limits, too?"

_Gee, you sure catch on fast._

"Any place you wouldn't naturally find a coin, let's leave it that way."

_And never try to saw my body in half, either._

"So, what are you doing now?"

"I have some homework to finish."

"Okay. Then I'll leave you this last little trick."

_A book? Howl? Hello, I told you I'd give mine to you._

"You bought a copy? I told you I'd lend you mine."

"It is yours."

"You stole my book."

_And that's a statement, not a question. _

"Nope, borrowed it."

_Ugh! You stealing, lying—you stole my book!_

"Okay, that's not called a trick, that's called a felony."

"I just wanted to put some notes in the margins for you."

_What?_

"What?"

_Oh my God…you read. You _read

"You've read this before."

"About forty times."

_Forty! You can count that high?_

"I thought you said you didn't read much."

"Well, what is much?"

_Holy crap. You…you…_

"Good night, Rory."

"Good night, Dodger."

_Ha! Bet you don't know that one!_

"Dodger?"

"Figure it out."

_Okay, good. Now walk away, before he—_

"Oliver Twist."

_Huh._

A/N: Well, that's about it for this chapter! A few more points I want to make: everything up to Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy is going to be the same, but after that, everything is different. Just wanted to let you know I'm not going to be copying dialogue from every episode. And also, I'm probably only going to put A/N's at the end of each chapter. I feel like notes at the beginning ruin the flow of the story. So, that's it! Reviews are love )


	3. Chapter 3

"No, I'm just saying, why couldn't he ever catch the Roadrunner?"

"That's the whole reason he's called the Roadrunner. So that no one could catch him."

"Yes, but are the writers of these cartoons so heartless that they can't cut the coyote some slack?"

"Well, it would ruin the Roadrunner's reputation if he was actually caught. It'd scar him for life."

"Please, being caught by an animated coyote? Not very frightening. Robin Williams in One Hour Photo? Now, that could definitely scar someone."

"Well, the next time you watch the Roadrunner cartoons, just picture a giant Robin Williams head chasing him instead of the coyote."

"Do I have to?"

"Do you have to what?" came a gruff voice.

"Oh, Luke! Hey!" Lorelai replied, blushing the palest shade of pink that no one but Rory noticed. "We were just discussing the Roadrunner cartoons." She flashed him a dazzling smile.

"Forget I asked. What'll it be?"

"Hm, how about pancakes? Oh, wait—how about waffles?" She threw a glance at Rory, who was now gazing absentmindedly out the window. "How about both? Lots and lots of chocolate chips, please."

"Coming up…Rory?" Luke waved a hand in front of Rory's face to bring her out of her reverie.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"What'll you have?"

"Oh…um, nothing, thanks," Rory said quickly. Luke gave her a questioning look, but he knew better than to ask a Gilmore anything, unless, of course, he was in the middle of one of his own rants. He headed back to the kitchen to cook Lorelai's food himself, since he couldn't trust Caesar to add the chocolate chips.

"So, you wanna tell me what's going on?" Lorelai asked, once Luke had left.

"I'm just not hungry."

"Rory, when have either of us ever passed up a chocolate chip waffle-pancake combo, unless something was bothering us?" She laid a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"My bus is here. I have to go," Rory said. She hurriedly gathered her things and rushed out of the diner, leaving Lorelai incredibly confused.

Minutes later, Luke returned with Lorelai's breakfast.

"So, what was that about?" he asked.

"Oh, Rory's just having a thing."

"A thing?"

"Yes, a thing. You know, a regular, everyday, teenage thing."

"You think that greasy-haired punk did somethin' to her?"

"Dean didn't do anything. And he is not a punk."

"Oh, please, Lorelai. That kid is trouble. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him that he was bad news."

"Luke, Dean hasn't done anything to Rory."

"Except that one thing, you know, breaking her heart."

"Small technicality," Lorelai responded, flashing another smile. "Besides, I think you have some punk problems of your own to worry about."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, a certain nephew of yours comes to mind."

"Oh, not this again."

"Look, I promise I'll stay out of it, okay? But the kid's already caused enough trouble. If you can recall that little argument of ours last week, I think you'd agree." Luke said nothing but nodded slowly. "Thanks for the food."

"Sure. Right. Anytime," he finished awkwardly, leaving Lorelai to her rather unhealthy breakfast.

Rory Gilmore had never had trouble with anything. With the exception of Miss Patty's dance classes, which she had struggled with since the age of six, she mastered everything she set her mind to. The entire town of Stars Hollow knew that she was a perfectionist, and ever since she was young, there seemed to be no problem she couldn't solve.

That is, until Jess Mariano came to town.

Although she hadn't spent much time with him since the dinner fiasco last week, Rory could tell something was—_different _about Jess. In fact, she spent the remainder of that evening replaying their conversation in her head when she got home, and she found herself smiling every time she thought about how he knew her Oliver Twist reference. Dean would never know something like that.

That was something else that bothered her lately—Dean. Sure, Dean was nice and caring and protective. He got along with her mother and her friends, and he never failed to meet her at the bus stop with a hot cup of coffee every day after school. But Rory's boyfriend didn't share any of her interests. If someone were to ask him what he would prefer to do on a Saturday afternoon, he would easily choose playing basketball over reading Faulkner. Or worse, he would drag Rory to the umpteenth showing of The Lord of the Rings. Of course, Rory liked it; she had read all of Tolkien's works. But there were only so many times one could hear "My precious" without cringing.

Dean loved Gollum.

Lately, Dean and Rory were having a bit of a phase. Like all couples, they sometimes had their differences and argued, usually about pointless things. But they would always kiss and make up by the end of the night. However, all Dean seemed to want to do lately _was_ kiss. Rory found herself struggling to remember the last time they saw each other and didn't end up making out. Maybe it was because they didn't have anything to talk about, but Rory was really starting to get bored.

She hated to admit it, but she was falling out of love with Dean.

"Rory, hey!"

"Oh. Hey, Dean," Rory responded, trying her best to sound happy to see him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just really tired. You know, school and stuff."

"Right. Whatever. It's nothing a kiss can't cure," Dean said, leaning down to give Rory a peck on the lips.

"Um, Dean….I think we need to talk."

"Sure. What about?"

He sure was an idiot. Every person in a relationship knows that "We need to talk" means "We're breaking up".

"Do you think we could go someplace more private? Like my house or something?"

"Oh, no," Dean said, voice filled with worry. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"Um….what do you think I'm doing?"

"You're trying to drag me to your place to watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory again, aren't you?"

Rory was stunned. Of all the reasons she could possibly want Dean to come over, watching a Gene Wilder movie was not on the top of the list.

"Uh—guilty as charged," Rory said, with a nervous laugh. "I just can't resist those….Oompa-Loompas." Dean chuckled.

"Well, first do you think we can….," he trailed off, raising his eyebrows suggestively, as if Rory could read his mind.

Unfortunately, she knew what he wanted to do.

"Kiss?" He nodded, grinning. Rory sighed.

"Do you think the kissing could wait? Just for a minute? I really need to talk to you about something."

"Fine, Rory. Whatever. Let's go watch those stupid Oompa-Loompas."

"Whoa, what's the matter? You're mad at me 'cause I don't want to make out with you for the hundredth time this week?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Dean, I wasn't bringing you to my place to watch Willy Wonka, I wanted to talk to you. But all you _ever_ want to do is kiss. We hardly see each other, with your schedule at Doose's and my schoolwork, and whenever we do see each other, all you seem interested in is kissing."

"Well, sorry for wanting to be close to my girlfriend."

"You're always around! You follow me everywhere! I can't stand you anymore!"

"What the hell is your problem? God, Rory, all you care about is yourself! You're not being a very good girlfriend!"

"Oh, _I'm_ not being a good girlfriend? Dean, we don't have anything in common! I want to browse at a bookstore, you want to shoot hoops. We're so different, Dean!"

"Then why are we still together?"

"I don't know, okay? I have no idea why I've been wasting my time with you. That's the reason I wanted you to come over—so I could break up with you. But, of course, you had to get mad at me for not wanting to make out, and we ended up having a fight in public. This is just how it was the first time."

"What are you talking about?"

"You dumped me because I wouldn't say I love you!"

"Well, I was a little upset that you didn't love me back!"

"Dean, I've never been in love with you! Even the day you came to Chilton, I didn't mean it when I said I loved you. I just felt so pressured to say it back to you, and I didn't want you to leave. But, right now, I don't care if you leave." Rory finally took a breath. Tears stung her eyes as she and Dean stared at each other, not knowing what to say next.

"Rory," Dean began, slowly and softly, "I don't think we should be together anymore."

"Okay," she replied, her voice breaking. A single tear rolled down her cheek as the reality of the situation slowly began to hit her. "I'm sorry, Dean."

"Me, too. I love you, Rory. I really do." Rory merely nodded.

And with that, Dean walked away, tears threatening to fall. Rory turned on her heel and started towards her house, ignoring stares from townspeople who had seen the entire ordeal.

People like Jess.

A/N: Yes, I know, it's been ages since my last update. Writer's block is partly to blame, along with just being insanely busy lately. But I kind of got an idea yesterday and just started writing. Reviews are love! )


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